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Veterinary Exam |
The responsible dog owner would never allow their dog to menace or bite a family member, neighbor, or passerby on the street. We shouldn't expect that our veterinarian and the support staff at the clinic should accommodate such potentially dangerous behaviors either.
Is Your Dog a Veterinary Exam Terrorist?
| Some dog owners will simply shrug and laugh it off. "Scout is soooo bad at the vet's!"; or
"Mitzy just HATES going to the vet." Or worse yet, "I don't think my vet is too thrilled when I walk in the door with Buster."
But it's not funny. A fearfully growling and biting dog is a potentially dangerous dog in any circumstance.
Regardless of breed, size, gender or age, even a seemingly "minor" dog bite can cause serious injury, potentially
disabling a person for weeks or months. The responsible dog owner would never allow their dog to menace or bite a
family member, neighbor, or passerby on the street. We shouldn't expect that our veterinarian and the support
staff at the clinic should accommodate such potentially dangerous behaviors either.
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Granted, some veterinary procedures can be unpleasant or uncomfortable for a companion animal, and we shouldn't be
surprised if our pup reacts to a vaccination with a yip or a head jerk, and then demonstrates hesitation or resistance
at the next visit to the vet clinic. This is why it is imperative that dog owners continually condition their dog to a variety of environments and people --including non-exam, casual visits to the vet clinic -- and incrementally train "touch on command" obedience, to ensure that their dog is psychologically and physically prepared for the stresses, distractions, and occasional discomfort of the veterinary clinic environment with the potentially overwhelming sights, sounds, smells, and medical procedures.
If your dog is not yet fully comfortable in the veterinary clinic environment and with the staff and doctor, then until it is, be sure to be an active participant in all exam procedures and handling so that you can ensure that your dog is managed in a way that is conducive to incremental conditioning and positive reinforcement. While indeed many clinics will ask that you simply turn your dog over to them at the front desk so that they can "take care of it" in the back room, you are the paying client and you do have a say in how, where, when and by whom your dog is handled. Understand that an abrupt departure from the owner and a sudden immersion into the vet clinic environment can generate uncertainty and fearfulness in any dog, with behavioral consequences -- and memories of a bad experience -- that may require long-term remedial counterconditioning and management.
Always meriting consideration is the unfortunate reality that some breeds bring with them to the vet clinic a reputation for aggressive behaviors. If you are the owner of a dog of such a breed, it
becomes even more important for you to seriously consider selecting a veterinarian that has demonstrable experience and knowledge of your breed and who will not engage with and manage your dog on the erroneous presumption that it will behave inappropriately simply because of its breed. While some caution in the clinical setting may be warranted for some breeds, there is
unfortunately a tendency for veterinary medical practitioners to err a little too much on the side of caution and presumptively muzzle or restrain all dogs of certain breeds when in fact a particular dog
may not require such drastic measures. Such a pre-emptive management approach may well develop in the otherwise non-aggressive dog a resistance to and fearfulness of the clinical envrionment based solely on a history of unwarranted restraint and overly strong handling by veterinary staff in your absence.
Heads up if your dog begins to
shake and fall to pieces in the clinic parking lot, or is resistant to even a cursory examination by your
veterinarian. If your visit to the vet quickly degenerates into a battle royale, perhaps requiring physical restraint or
muzzling to inhibit fear-based biting -- then it's time for you to assert proactive management strategies at home to take control of your canine terrorist and teach
your dog how to be a compliant recipient of your touch on command, and a cooperative patient at the vet's office.
There are a number of behavioral modification techniques to ease a fearful dog's reactions to body touching and exam.
Introducing these techniques early in a puppy's training in the relaxed environment at home is the optimal approach
to creating the future well-mannered dog during veterinary exam. Although it will take more time to "un-do"
established bad behaviors, these same techniques can also be effective with the older fearful dog.
"Ears" |
One approach for conditioning the fearful dog to accept
body exam is to incrementally introduce increasingly invasive and prolonged types and degrees of body touch, exploration, and hold with
associated commands (such as "Ears," "Teeth," "Toes," "Tail," etc.) and marking and rewarding the pup's compliant cooperation at each step.
Combine body exam with a relaxing full-body massage, and your pup will learn over time that body examination
is a non-threatening and even pleasurable experience. Once your dog is thoroughly comfortable with you
performing the head-to-tail exam, you can gradually transition to a trouble-free body exam by other family
members and ultimately with veterinary staff as part of your overall behavioral modification plan.
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| If you're not sure if your dog is exhibiting abnormally
fearful behaviors, ask your veterinarian. Rest assured that if your dog is a "Vet Exam Terrorist," your veterinarian and the
clinic staff will welcome your questions and your efforts to improve your dog's veterinary exam related behaviors.
Plan ahead; well in advance of your next visit, ask your veterinarian to recommend behavioral modification strategies that
are appropriate for your dog. Many veterinary clinics have staff on-site
that can assist you and your dog, or you may be referred to a professional trainer who is qualified to help
you and your fearful dog with a customized behavioral modification and obedience training plan to achieve a
safe and less eventful visit to the vet.
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"Teeth" |
"Toes" |
A consistent, incrementally graduated program of
behavioral modification specifically tailored for your dog, together with basic obedience training and handling skills, can transform even
the most fearful and unruly veterinary patient into a more confident, manageable, and safe participant in the clinical
exam process. You will be a more confident and skillful handler, your dog will be less fearful and more confident, and
your veterinarian and the clinic staff will thank you for taking responsibility for your dog's behavioral management
and ensuring the safety and well-being of your dog and of all who come into contact with him or her.
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Incremental, step-by-step teaching and training are the most successful approaches to dog training and behavioral management. If you would like to learn how to teach your dog to be a model veterinary exam patient, consider enrolling for Online Dog Training with a supplemental telephone consultation.
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